Contents

Background

Early Life

Sonny Forelli was born and raised in Liberty City. Sonny joined and became the Don of the Forelli Family at a young age, according to the Vice City Police Department criminal files. During his youth, he became a good friend of Tommy Vercetti, though Sonny's feelings toward Tommy changed over the time, with the latter's rapid rise within the family leading to jealousy.

The Ambush

In 1971, Sonny had led Tommy into an ambush in Harwood (located in Liberty City), telling Tommy he was to assassinate a key mobster. Tommy survived the ambush but was arrested by the Liberty City Police Department and imprisoned. Sonny continued in his various illegal activities, and by 1986 was believed to be involved in racketeering, gambling, unions, corruption and prostitution, making the Forelli family the most powerful Mafia family at that time.

Tommy later informs Sonny of the ambush, with Sonny reacting angrily, seemingly holding Tommy responsible for the recovery of the money and the drugs regardless of whose fault it was.

'Behind the scenes'

Ken Rosenberg later begins to employ Tommy Vercetti and helps him establish himself in the city, introducing him to a number of the city's key people, including Colonel Juan Cortez, who helped Rosenberg set up the deal, and real estate mogul Avery Carrington. Rosenberg, fearing Sonny's retribution, hides in his office for a number of days, but does send Tommy to intimidate two jurors prosecuting Sonny's cousin Giorgio.

Sonny allows Tommy to establish a business empire in the city, realizing it is the only way for Tommy to repay his debt and hoping the new influence in Florida will bring great rewards for the family in Liberty City. However, after Tommy manages to find and eliminate those responsible for the ambushed drug deal, Gonzalez and the city's ruling drug baron Ricardo Diaz, and still shows no sign of paying back the stolen money, Sonny begins to become impatient. Eventually, Sonny takes matters into his own hands and sends some of his men to forcibly collect money from Tommy's numerous businesses.

Death

Tommy: "You took fifteen years from me, Sonny, and now I'm gonna make you pay!"

Sonny: "You still don't get it do you? I OWN you, Tommy! Those fifteen years were mine to spend! Get him, boys; he never understood a thing."

―Tommy and Sonny's last conversation before Sonny's death.

Sonny's last moments.

Tommy eliminates Sonny's men, but, realizing retaliation will swiftly follow, devises a plan to pay Sonny off using counterfeit money printed at his print works. When Sonny arrives in Vice City to collect, however, he reveals that Lance Vance, Tommy's closest friend, has joined forces with him and informed him of the counterfeiting scheme. Being forewarned about Tommy's deception, Sonny arrives at the Vercetti estate in force, accompanied by a large number of gunmen, intending to eliminate Tommy and seize his businesses for the Forelli Family.

A huge gun fight erupts, during which Sonny finally confirms Tommy's suspicions that he was in fact set up in 1971. The shootout concludes with the deaths of Lance and Sonny, alongside countless Forelli Family mobsters.

Legacy

"Ever since Sonny Forelli got himself pasted all over Florida, you think you run things in this town."

Mission Appearances

Trivia

Sonny makes the second fewest physical appearances in-game of all the main antagonists in the 3D Universe; he appears in cutscenes for the first and second missions, gives Tommy a phone call after three missions, and, finally, appears in person during the final mission. The antagonist with the fewest appearances is Massimo Torini from GTA Liberty City Stories, with only two mission appearances.